Further Information

DJÄSS

DJÄSS is the brainchild of Jón Rafnsson, Kiddi Snær, and Karl Olgeirsson, who released the trio’s first album in 2011. The original idea was to play Icelandic rock songs in a jazz guise, but the repertoire soon broadened to all kinds of popular songs, both Icelandic and international, and eventually to original compositions. Now the gems of Gunnar Þórðarson are the focus, which is fitting as he turns eighty this year. This is DJÄSS’s fourth album, and joining them this time is trumpeter Björn Atle Anfinsen, who fits perfectly into this band that dances along the borders of various musical styles. As Kalli the pianist puts it: “It was incredibly exciting to tackle Gunnar’s songs because they are tremendously well written but tend to be very complex. Also, the original versions are often so strong in one’s mind that it’s tricky to find a new arrangement.” The word is that they’ve pulled it off: the record sounds excellent, and it’s great fun to hear these well-known songs in new and often unexpected attire.

To mark their 15-year collaboration, DJÄSS will hold an anniversary concert at Salurinn in Kópavogur on March 5, 2026. There the bandmates will cover the highlights of what the trio has performed in concert over these 15 years, and of course Gunnar Þórðarson’s songs will have their place on the program.